Burgess in pole position to top big six

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An Olympic champion, five world champions, six more world or
Olympic medallists and many Commonwealth champions and medallists
will compete in Melbourne's classic track and field meeting at
Olympic Park tonight.

Marlon Devonish of England was a member of Britain's winning 4 x
100 metres relay team in Athens. Benita Johnson is the world
cross-country champion and Jana Pittman the world champion at 400
metres hurdles.

All these athletes are ready to fire, with Pittman reportedly
tossing up whether to change her distance and run in the 800 metres
tonight instead of the 400, but the man who comes to Melbourne in
the hottest form is pole vaulter Paul Burgess.

Burgess won the 1996 world junior championships in Sydney. He
has been a minor medallist at the past two Commonwealth Games, but
he was a supporting act to Markov and Viktor Chistiakov until
Athens.

First Burgess had to out-perform Chistiakov to grab the final
spot in the Australian team. Having done that, Burgess then
surprised Australian fans by reaching the final as Markov
uncharacteristically crashed out in the qualifying rounds.

It seemed a temporary blip, but Burgess has started 2005 intent
on making permanent his temporary hold at the top of Australian
men's vaulting. In Perth on January 22, he cleared 5.91 metres -
the highest on Australian soil. Then, in the West Australian state
titles last weekend, he upped this allcomers' record to 5.95.

Next stop is plainly six metres - "I won't be going for 5.99, I
don't think," Burgess said yesterday.

I was backed against the wall and had to fight"Paul Burgess

Only 12 men have cleared 6.00. Markov ranks equal second among
the distinguished dozen with the 6.05 he got over to win the 2001
world title in Edmonton.

Burgess wants to join the club.

"I think the next 'PB' I get will be six metres," he said.

Burgess tried six metres in both his national allcomers' record
competitions. He went close once and is not intimidated by the
height.

A look at Burgess reveals one reason why he is performing
better. He looks, and is, trimmer and fitter, a fact he attributes
to focusing on "all the one per-centers" - recovery sessions, diet,
regular sleep patterns - since resuming training with redoubled
enthusiasm on returning to Perth.

Until last year, Burgess seemed happy to be Australia's No. 3,
safe in the team, insulated from the lofty ambitions and
expectations put on Markov and Chistiakov. Victorian Steve Hooker's
emergence shattered that cosy little world and Burgess says winning
his place in the team for Athens was a catalyst for change.

"I was backed against the wall and had to fight," he said. "It
made me realise what you can do when you're put under pressure and
made me realise how much I want to be a world-class vaulter."

The Olympic experience, his first major senior final, told
Burgess "I had the ability, and it made me realise I had the
ability to be one of the best in the world - that, and coming back
and training my guts out, basically."

Markov cleared 5.75 in Adelaide last weekend, a height he has
only occasionally cleared domestically.

The competition between Burgess, Markov and Hooker tonight will
push anything and anyone else as the highlight of the meeting.

MEN'S POLE VAULT: An all-Australian contest,
but one of the highest class. Paul Burgess set another national
allcomers' record, this time 5.95 metres, at the weekend; Dmitri
Markov, who wants top-dog status back, cleared 5.75 in South
Australia; Steve Hooker must clear the same height if he is to
attain the world championships A-standard he is after.

MEN'S 100-200: Josh Ross is keen to retain the
edge over Australian rivals Matt Shirvington and Patrick Johnson
and Australian-resident Nigerian Ambrose Ezenwa, and also faces
international competition from Kareem Streete-Thompson (Cayman
Islands) and Englishman Marlon Devonish.

MEN'S LONG JUMP: Another all-domestic affair,
with Tim Parravicini and John Thornell having traded wins in Perth
and Canberra. Both are after the world championships A-standard of
8.20 metres.

WOMEN'S 1500: Sarah Jamieson is the form
runner. Lisa Corrigan, Emma Rilen, Suzy Walsham and Georgie Clarke
will all be looking to upset her or run her close.